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Aptavani-6
17
Aptavani-6
before. There is no change in action. What you can see is due to the power of Gnan.
Idol as a result of Pratishtha Questioner: What is pratishthit atma?
Dadashri: Until one attains the knowledge of his true Self, the belief of, 'This Chandulal is who I really am,' is what we call the pratishthit atma (the relative-self, energized nonSelf complex of thoughts, speech and acts). This belief, 'I am Chandubhai,' is a pratishtha instilling something more into) that is being done just like doing pratishtha for an idol, and that is why it continues to bear its fruits. What is Atma? It is your own Self. Your work is done when you acquire awareness of your real Self. You should have the realization of 'Who you are.'
Questioner: The pratishthit atma does not have awareness of the Shuddhatma, does it?
Dadashri: How can it have the awareness? It can only have that awareness when the Gnani Purush gives that awareness.
Questioner: No, but does the pratishthit atma not have awareness after you give Gnan?
Dadashri: Yes, that is when you became aware and that is why you started to say 'I am pure Soul (Shuddhatma).' You saw a change from your old awareness and, therefore, you felt, *This is not me; I am the Shuddhatma.'
Who Contemplates on the Soul?
Questioner: "The soul (atma, the self) becomes what it contemplates (chintavan)'; so who does the contemplation here?
Dadashri: The pratishthit atma, the relative-self, does the contemplation, not the real Self. The one that does the bhaav of contemplation, the one who holds the bhaav of, 'I am
contemplating,' is the pratishthit atma. The real Amma is not like that. It is absolutely pure - pure as gold.
So what 'we' are saying is that one will become the Self if one contemplates on the shuddha, the real Self. And one will become something else if he contemplates on that something else.
Questioner: But is that not a contemplation of the pratishthit atma?
Dadashri: Yes, it is. The pure Soul, the Self, does not do anything. If the pratishthit atma turns this way towards the Self, it will become Shuddhatma and if it turns the 'wrong way, away from the Self, then the wrong result will occur. The moment one attains the Self, contemplation (chintavan of Shuddhatma) will occur continuously. However, the complaint such as, 'I am like this...this happened to me,' etc., is all an illusion (moha). Even this interaction with me (satsang) is moha, but it is charitra moha- a discharging effect. What is charitra moha? It is that which is shed when one employs equanimity. It will then not touch or affect him again, whereas the other moha, the true moha, will not refrain from sticking to you. Because the illusion that charges karma (darshan moha) is gone, only discharging illusion (charitra moha) remains for you. This is called discharge moha.
Those who do not have Gnan still have the belief, 'I am like this' or 'I am like that,' in their discharging illusion and, therefore, they become that which they believe. After attaining the Self, the Gnan, there is awareness of, 'I am pure Soul... I am Shuddhatma,' and so one continues to become pure (shuddha). Whatever is going to happen to 'Chandulal' will continue to happen. Whatever is in the nature of his prakruti, will continue to unfold. 'You' do not have anything to do with that.' All you have to do is settle everything with equanimity.
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